Wedding Planners & Planning Tips

When you think of wedding receptions, what is the one thing that they all have? A "stately mountain of snowy frosting and royal icing blossoms," (from "The Perfect Wedding Cake" by Kate Manchester), aka the wedding cake! Not bad for a dessert which has its roots clear back to the Roman Empire. But back then, there was no beautifully decorated, sweet confection. Instead, a loaf of barley bread was broken over the bride's head to symbolize her fertility. Can you imagine picking crumbs out of your hair? As the barley bread evolved into today's wedding cake, the symbolism of the cake and the cake cutting ceremony evolved into your first joint act as a married couple, your commitment to provide for each other, and the sweet life you will share together.

Your wedding cake should taste absolutely wonderful, however, it is not just dessert. Your wedding cake will be an integral part of the reception decor, so plan accordingly and place it in a strategic location where all of your guests can easily see it. How about in the center of the dance floor? It can be removed after the cake cutting ceremony - table and all - so you have room for your first dance as husband and wife. Just be sure that someone carefully cleans up any stray icing that may hit the floor which can be very slippery and dangerous. Or how about placing your wedding cake in a corner with pin lights or a small spotlight highlighting its glory?

The Statue of Liberty has its pedestal, a queen has her throne, the cake table needs to be worthy to hold such a beautiful creation. Like a beautiful frame that surrounds a lovely painting, the cake table should be decorated to complement the wonderful confection that it holds. Decorating the cake table needn't be time consuming nor expensive. You may already have something appropriate in your closet or on the dining room table. A lace tablecloth would be lovely draped across the cake table. A length of tulle loosely billowed on the top of the table gives the impression of your cake floating on clouds. Or, swag the table with tulle, organza, lame, or garlands of greenery and flowers.

If your motto is "Life's too short, eat dessert first," then you may want to go all out with your desserts. Have a dessert bar with trays of different scrumptious delicacies - iced cookies, brownies, mini bite-sized cheesecakes - with your wedding cake as the centerpiece. And speaking of centerpieces, if one large cake to feed hundreds of people isn't your thing, how about a small (only big enough for two) cake which you and your new spouse get to cut and feed each other, and in place of the more traditional floral or candle centerpieces for each guest table, have a single tiered cake that serves 8-10 people.

Gift-giving should be something exciting, especially if you are doing it as a token of appreciation. You should consider giving unusual groomsmen gift items to erase the usual perception that all newlyweds can muster to give is either a thank you card or the all too familiar bride and groom figurine. Since it might be the first and the last time you are actually going to do it, it helps to give unusual groomsmen gifts items for the guys so that you can also make the experience as memorable as possible for them as it was for you.

However, if the guys are a bit different from each other in terms of personality and background it can be a little tough to think about unusual gift items for them. But with a few preparations and some good advices to follow you can surely have the brightest ideas for unusual groomsmen gift items.

Profile the Guys

This is the first step to coming up with unusual groomsmen gift items. If you perceive them as largely different from each other then it would be good to come up with different gifts. But how will you do it if you don't take the time to get to know them much better than you do now? This is the reason why profiling is important. You don't have to go as an undercover agent scheming and tracking down the guys' lives. All you need is your spouse and perhaps a few closer friends to the guy to know what makes him tick. Of course it also entails you having the luxury of time to spend with these people just to get to know your recipient much better.

When starting to profile your guy, you should take note of the basics in his life. Like his individual status, his actual age, his profession, and even his hobbies. You will realize that unusual groomsmen gift items will just pop in your head as you get to know these vital pieces of information. There are lots of things that can motivate you to come up with a particular gift as you get to know the life of the person. Unusual groomsmen gift items can be plucked out from the lifestyles the guys enjoy. They may be into smoking cigars. So you can give them an engraved stainless steel cigar case and flask as a set.

Allot a Budget and Be Creative

Once you already have a profile of the guys, then it's going to be easier for you to shortlist a set of unusual groomsmen gift items that will fit them. However, you should be prepared with a flexible budget because you will have to be creative about how you present the gift. Sometimes, it may not be the item it

Have you ever cheated on your partner or thought about being unfaithful? Cheating is usually a sign of an unhealthy relationship. Alarmingly, cheating is now widespread. According to relationship expert Susan Sheppard, cheating or infidelity affects 8 out of 10 marriages in the U.S. That's 80 percent of all marriages!

But what are the reasons that drive people to cheat? Is there hope for a relationship after cheating?

There are many reasons why men and women cheat. Before, men had affairs mainly to fulfill their sexual desires but now, their reasons for cheating may also have an emotional aspect. Women, on the other hand, are now committing infidelity not just because of unhappy relationships but because of sex.

Reasons for cheating vary from one person to another. But here are some common reasons why men or women cheat in general:

? Emotional and Physical Needs

There are times when one partner needs to feel wanted, cared for, understood emotionally and have his/her physical needs fulfilled. Sometimes, when these things are left unsatisfied, infidelity comes in.

? Constant Conflict in the Relationship

This is one of the common reasons for cheating. If a relationship is problematic and plagued with unhealthy fights and arguments, a person may seek affection and attention from another party whom he/she feels understands him/her more.

? Empowerment

Some people believe that they are entitled to have more than one intimate partner. Some cheat simply because they know they can. Others may be following "traditions" (i.e. parents or other members of the family also committed infidelity).

? To Get Out of a Relationship

Cheating is also used as an escape from a bad relationship. Some do it to get caught so that his/her partner will be forced to end the relationship and others do it so they can start a new relationship before ending the unhappy ones that they're in.

No matter what the reasons, cheating is never justified. What matters is that if you cheat, you're bound to hurt somebody at one point. But there is still hope even after one partner has cheated in a relationship, as long as they are still willing to accept each other, deal with their issues and start all over. And of course, if the cheating stops completely.

About the Author

Laura Roberts a proud contributor of Life Empowerment and a supporter of Sixwise - Love and Relationship Issues

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The cathedral veil is so called because of the length of the aisle that the bride will walk on. Cathedrals have notably long aisles so cathedral veils are usually several feet long and trail after the bride’s wake. These wedding veils are usually transparent and light but are weighted down by embellishments such as crystals and seed pearls. These wedding veils are usually attached to the bride’s hairstyle using pins and cover the brides face.

Elbow Length Veil

These kinds of wedding veils are shorter and usually have multiple layers. The layers an sometimes made uneven for a more obvious look. Most of the elbow length wedding veils are diaphanous and may have trimmed edges. These also cover the bride’s face during the wedding ceremony. The edges of the elbow length veils are usually trimmed with plain bias not lace although some variants include crystals and fur.

Spanish Wedding Veils

The Spanish wedding veils are usually made of heavy lace and edges are usually lacy and scalloped. These kinds of wedding veils do not cover the brides face and just frame it. The veil is usually attached using pins which are not so obvious to people from afar. It is also called a mantilla. Other types of Spanish wedding veils are see-through and only have lace edges.

Wedding veils add to the beauty of your wedding dress. You have to wear the veil together with the dress for you to see if they go well together. Some wedding dress designs do not go well with some veils. For brides who are having their dresses designed and not buying off the rack, their designer can take care of the veil. For those buying wedding dresses off the rack, you need to try on several veils on order to see which ones complement the gown you are wearing and which ones suit your stature and figure.

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Charm bracelets have been around for quite a while now. Charm bracelets have a very long and interesting history. They have been traced back to early Egyptians and some African tribes whose women wore them with beads to ward of evil spirits. Queen Victoria used to wear them, which made them a fashion with English nobility. Charm bracelets have been in and out of fashion - and have now again become a fashion wear item.

There are basically three different designs of charm bracelets. One is to tie a string, a piece of wool, or any cord around the wrist and hang favourite trinkets or charms or beads from it. This is generally how young girls get started on charm bracelets. Older girls and women may buy a steel, silver or gold chain and dangle their favourite charms from it. The Italian charm bracelet is a bracelet onto which the charms are snapped. There are some high fashion designers who have started making charm bracelets. This version of the Italian charm bracelet is fairly recent and also there is a European version of the charm bracelet. The European charm bracelet is a chain on which beads and charms can be put. The charms and beads can be changed to suit the mood and dress of the wearer.

Well, what does make a great design for a charm bracelet depends a lot on the type of person who is wearing it. What are their favourite's things, which they really treasure and like to display a charm of it. Like a favourite pet, singer, initial of a loved one - and the list becomes endless. All girls and women who wear a charm bracelet select the charms that they want. Later on charms are added and some removed. Some women may even have a set of charm bracelets, and they would wear the one that they like on a particular day.

All the leading jewellers and fashion designers have got into making charm bracelets that are exquisite, but everyone cannot afford them. So what would make a great design for a charm bracelet would be to select the chain and then the charms that one likes. Charms can be bought anywhere in the world, from shops that sell trinkets to jewellers shops. There can be a favourite colour charm, a favourite singer charm, a loved one's initial charm, a favourite place charm, a favourite movie charm, a favourite car charm. All these charms on a charm bracelet make a great talking piece, especially if someone is getting newly acquainted, as each charm and its reason for being on the charm bracelet can get the conversation going - and it can last for hours. Close friends may also buy and gift charms to hang on to the charm bracelet.

A great charm bracelet should be an extension of the personality of the person wearing it, and not a fashion statement. It should depict a persons likings and what they are extremely fond of. The charm bracelet should add to the charm of the lady wearing it.

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Hot Diamonds has a vast collection of designs in charm bracelets jewellery to create the perfect s

With the high costs of weddings these days, many couples look to save money by creating printable wedding invitations themselves. After all, they say to themselves, "Hey! We have a computer, some basic word processing software, and a brand new inkjet printer that spits out a gazillion different colors. How hard can it be?" In a word: (very) hard. But notice I didn't say impossible?!

With enough planning and thoughtfulness, you can create your own printable wedding invitations, and save yourselves a bundle in the process.

In addition to the cost savings, creating your own printable wedding invitations is a great way to place a stamp of uniqueness on your event. For many weddings, the look and feel of the invitation creates the mood for the event, so how you go about designing your printable wedding invitations is critical. Planning a beach, destination wedding? Set the tone with island themes and icons. Decking out the hallowed halls of your local church or country club? Then, perhaps think more traditional thoughts.

Either way, let your printable wedding invitation serve as the calling card to your event and set the tone for what your guests can expect!

Here is a little primer to help you think through all of the issues as you go about the planning process to creating your own gorgeous printable wedding invitations.

Tip #1: Bleed it and Weep. What does this mean? In the printing world there is a term that separates the commercial from the residential DIY guys, and this is the Bleed. The bleed means you're taking the color or the graphic all the way to the edge of the media (i.e., the paper you're using). To bleed the edge means you're laying down ink all the way to the edge of the media. Notice how your magazines all have graphics, color, and photos that go across the ENTIRE page and stop only when the page stops? That's called a bleed.The challenge is that most desktop printers these days cannot bleed the edge. Instead, they usually a quarter-inch

With the high costs of weddings these days, many couples look to save money by creating printable wedding invitations themselves. After all, they say to themselves, "Hey! We have a computer, some basic word processing software, and a brand new inkjet printer that spits out a gazillion different colors. How hard can it be?" In a word: (very) hard. But notice I didn't say impossible?!

With enough planning and thoughtfulness, you can create your own printable wedding invitations, and save yourselves a bundle in the process.

In addition to the cost savings, creating your own printable wedding invitations is a great way to place a stamp of uniqueness on your event. For many weddings, the look and feel of the invitation creates the mood for the event, so how you go about designing your printable wedding invitations is critical. Planning a beach, destination wedding? Set the tone with island themes and icons. Decking out the hallowed halls of your local church or country club? Then, perhaps think more traditional thoughts.

Either way, let your printable wedding invitation serve as the calling card to your event and set the tone for what your guests can expect!

Here is a little primer to help you think through all of the issues as you go about the planning process to creating your own gorgeous printable wedding invitations.

Tip #1: Bleed it and Weep. What does this mean? In the printing world there is a term that separates the commercial from the residential DIY guys, and this is the Bleed. The bleed means you're taking the color or the graphic all the way to the edge of the media (i.e., the paper you're using). To bleed the edge means you're laying down ink all the way to the edge of the media. Notice how your magazines all have graphics, color, and photos that go across the ENTIRE page and stop only when the page stops? That's called a bleed.The challenge is that most desktop printers these days cannot bleed the edge. Instead, they usually a quarter-inch

However, as a parent you may not feel comfortable with the scary Goth-chick look, ripped jeans or overly provocative fashions now available to underage girls. How can you encourage her individuality, her confidence and sense of personal expression in a way that's fashionable and age-appropriate at the same time?

First, when she knows she is valued and appreciated she will be more likely to take your direction. Second, experts in child psychology say girls encouraged to speak up, share their thoughts and express themselves are more likely to feel self confident and exhibit healthy self esteem. Finally, when she sees an example of confident and loving people around her, she has a great example to follow. When you're confident - she will be more likely to be confident.

One fashion look that's become popular among women the last couple years and has trickled down to girls is the surprise of unexpected color. It started with women who wore a black and white outfit and "popped it" with a bright red or yellow purse. Now, almost anything goes when it comes to pairing color in an outfit. That jolt of unexpected color is usually seen in a bag, shoes or a belt. Girls now look for ways to pop their outfits with a jolt of bright color

Enter St. Louis designer James Androuais, age 24, who wanted to encourage girls in a positive way with his business. He saw the skyrocketing fame of MySpace and Facebook websites with girls, tweens and teens. Networking websites where conversations can go back and forth for hours. He noticed girls are constantly expressing with their words and in their appearance. So he created a fashion accessory both girls and parents can love. Now she can be unique, fashion forward and express her point of view all at the same time.

Meant to be worn with jeans, that ever-present fashion staple among girls of all ages, Xpressit belts provide a pop of bright, unexpected color and a little extra. Yes, the belts come in hot, fun colors girls, tweens and teens love including Mimosa Yellow (the "in" color for 2009), Classic Red, Aqua Blue, Limey Green, Bubblegum Pink and Perfect White. But it doesn't stop there.

After choosing the color belt she wants she gets to choose from little Twistonz (about the size of a penny) that go in the grommet holes around the belt to create a one of a kind look. She can spell her name with Twistonz. If she's an animal lover there are animal Twistonz with cute names. Does she love shopping? There are Twistonz with a high heel shoe, a purse and words like "Shopping Diva." Love text messaging and her MySpace page? She can get Twistonz with popular sayings like "BFF," "OMG" and more.

They have become so popular that XpressIt belts were chosen to be featured in a holiday gift bag loaded with goodies distributed to Hollywood moms with celeb-daughters like Debra Messing, Brook Shields, Heidi Klum and others.

Girls love clothing items and accessories that provide an opportunity to showcase her unique personality and style in ways that are fun and fresh. In a world where almost everything seems is mass-produced, having the ability to change the words and pictures on the belt she wears with her jeans makes her feel a little more special and important.

The possibilities are almost endless. Fortunately, the XpressIt Designs website at http://www.XpressItDesigns.com has an Ideas page where girls can get a little fashion inspiration so she can see the possibilities. Truthfully, she's only limited by her imagination and how she wants to express herself.

About the Author

XpressIt belts and patent pending Twistonz can be found exclusively at http://www.XpressItDesigns.com or email us for more information at XpressItDesigns@gmail.com Get yours today! (This article can be used in it's entirety with all links active and with the resource box at the bottom.)

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Wedding favors should symbolize you and your spouse; they must reflect your personality and match your wedding theme. As wedding favors is a common item which is given in all wedding parties, these gifts are starting to look bit boring as same common items are being used as wedding favors. If you try to be bit creative you can find many different unique wedding favor ideas.

Trying totally different and unique wedding favor ideas are always great fun. You can browse through on internet for some time to find many such unique ideas you can simply personalize those ideas a bit and you will be coming out with a totally different idea of yourself.

One such unique idea is to make a CD of songs; you can simply compile the collection of your songs or remix them. You can simply use windows movie maker which is available on all computers and edit the songs the way you like. You can simply put different video for different song or you can mix old songs with new albums. People with interest in music can do wonders if they spend some time on windows movie maker.

If you are looking for inexpensive wedding favors consider making them all by yourself. Wedding favors like cookies and candles are the best for this purpose. You can make several different shapes and sizes of candles and cookies matching to your tastes. They don't cost anything extra if you choose to personalize or customize candles and cookies and make them unique wedding favors for your wedding.

While making such inexpensive wedding favors make sure that you pack them in attractive containers and boxes. As wedding favors also serve as a part of the reception hall it is important that they look good and presentable. If packing box is good it adds to getup of the decoration of reception hall and creates good impression on the guests.

If you do not have time and you are occupied with other wedding preparations you can simply purchase something unique from the market and present it as a wedding favors. Planting seeds are one such wedding favors which is being presented by some people these days. After purchasing in bulk from wholesale renders you need to simply pack them in

One of the most exciting parts of a bridal shower is the fun games you get to play. These games can have a variety of purposes. They can be ice breaker games to help guests get to know one another. They can be games where your guests can win prizes to take home. They could also just be games to help guests enjoy their time at the bridal shower.

One of the most popular games at every bridal shower is bridal bingo. For this game, you will need as many bingo cards as you have guests. Fifteen is a good number of base bingo cards to start with. You will also need a list of the words on the bingo cards. Be sure to cut them up so you can pull them out of a hat or some similar container. You will need to give each guest a card. You could, though, have them share cards if you prefer. That might also be a good way to break the ice among guests who have no connection to each other except the bride. All of the bingo cards should have words on them that are associated with weddings, wedding gifts, or romance. In the center of the card should be a free space that can work with any type of line. The hostess should act as the bingo caller. She should pull the small pieces of paper out of the hat and call out each word. When the guest has a word on her card, she should mark through it with her pencil. If a guest can mark through a complete line of words in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal method, she should shout ?Bingo.? The host should check her card, and if, indeed, she has gotten all of the words, she will be deemed the winner of that game. The winner should receive some sort of wedding favor prize. There are a number of free printable cards on the internet along with word lists to help you in planning for this great game.

Another fun game to play at a bridal shower is a bridal word scramble. Each guest will be given a sheet with a number of different words related to weddings scrambled on them. Guests will also need a writing utensil for this game. The words should be fairly easy to solve, and obviously wedding related. For example, you could use ?edwdngi? as wedding for one of the words. Set a time limit, something like ten minutes usually works well, and the guest who can unscramble the most words in ten minutes wins the game.

An additional great game to play at bridal showers involves the names of famous couples. Give guests a sheet of paper with some famous couple halves on them. For example, you could have Michael Douglas as one entry. The other half, Catherine Zeta Jones, is what your guests would have to guess. Some other good entries for this game would be Popeye and Olive Oyl, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Baucall, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Al and Tipper Gore, and Homer and Marge Simpson. Come up with as many as you can. Again, you will need to set a time limit here, and ten minutes seems to work well. The guest who gets the most couples correct wins.

A third great game to play is the ?don't say or do game?. This also makes a wonderful ice breaker for your guests. Each guest wears a clothes pin attached to their clothing. The guests are informed that there are three words that they cannot say. Words like ?bride,? ?groom,? and ?wedding? work well. If any guest hears another guest say these words, that guest can demand their clothes pin. At the end of the game, which is typically the end of the wedding shower, the guest who has managed to obtain the most clothes pins wins.

Another good game is the purse scavenger hunt. Guests are given a list of the items that might be found in a purse. Each guest marks off the item as she hunts through her purse. The guest with the most items in her purse wins the game.

An additional game to play at a bridal shower is a version of memory. Guests are shown a tray of items. The tray should have twenty or so wedding related items. Show